I grew up in Salem, Massachuesitts where I lived for 10 years and then moved to Gainesville, Fla. I hated it in Florida my first couple of years here, but when I got to Middle School at Fort Clarke I found my best friend Alysha. We bumped up to high school together, both attending Buchholz High School. We also continued on to Santa Fe Community College (now Santa Fe College), where I studied for three years until transfering to the University of Florida in the summer of 2009.
I am a Journalism student, minoring in business and possibly a computer or design minor. I haven't been able to sort out what I want to do as a minor yet, but I need to jump on the band wagon and get that done.
I am also the proud parent of two wonderful muts. You can see pictures and get more information about them in my Hobbies page.
The biggest accomplishment I have had thus far in my life is getting accepted into The University of Florida. I had been fighting my way towards that goal all through Santa Fe College, making sure I made an A in every class I could. I ended up graduating with a 3.83 GPA, Phi Theta Kappa and Honors acknowledgments.
Another big accomplishment is being published in The Gainesville Sun thanks to Jeff Tudeen who gave me the opportunity and worked with me. You can read the article here:
Students Take the Plunge Into Community Service
I'm currently working on feature stories for my new Magazine/Feature Writing Class at UF. I hope to get those published either in a local newspaper or magazine.
My last major accomplishment is my progress on my current novel, which I have yet to name or discover a full plot for. I have been working on it since January 2009 and have just broke through the fifth chapter, almost to the beginning of the sixth chapter. You can read an excerpt from it under the "Current Novel" section to the left.
I started writing my first novel January of 2009 and have just begun the fifth chapter. Here is a section of the fourth chapter.
"I tried pleading with him, but it was like nothing worked. He held me up by wrapping his arm around me, holding me up to his lips. I tried to fight him, pushing at his arms and chest. I beat at him like his skin wasn’t the skin of his body but the skin of a drum. My heart raced, the blood pumping wildly. I had set into fight or flight mode, and I was definitely all about the fight. I cried out, grasping at anything I could, but nothing worked. He was too strong. Then a flashback came back to me and it was the words of the book I found earlier…excessive strength. It was futile for me to fight.
“Don’t make this harder Kayla. It will be over….soon.” I let my head fall back, giving in, accepting my fate.
"That’s it Nikolas…take her…take her now.”
He was hesitating, like he was trying to think things through. I looked back up at him, wondering what he was doing, and saw how his eyes still stared down at me, at my neck which lay bare and open. He even pushed down the top of my shirt to see where the end of my neck met the slight curve of my collar bone…the most delicate spot on my body. I watched his lips tremble. They looked so tender and delicate, like they were shivering in the cold. For a moment I wanted to touch them, run my thumb down his bottom lip, and even reach up and kiss them, but how could I kiss the lips of my killer.
“Now Nikolas.”
Darien looked furious. His eyebrows bent in anger at Nikolas’ hesitation. If it were Darien he probably would have done it by now, but Nikolas was so gentle and delicate. May be he would back out of it….he had to.
“Close your eyes Kayla.” I did as Nikolas said, trusting him. For a moment I felt like I wanted death to come. It would have been the easiest outcome, so why not welcome it. I felt his chilled breath on my neck, giving me a tingling sensation that sent chills up my spine.
His lips grazed my burning skin, cooling it gently.
When he pressed his lips down completely on my skin everything went black as night, like someone flicked a switch. All my anxiety and fear was erased, and I felt nothing.
I was nothing.
It was my end."
This is a section from Chapter 4 of my book.
My main inspiration for my book was "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer. I read all four books in the series within one week, and watched the film seven times in theaters before I came up with the idea for my book. Another inspiration that I have just picked up is the "Mortal Instruments" series written by Cassandra Clare.
Stephenie Meyer Official Website
Cassandra Clare Official Website